


Crossing the Line

by queen_scribbles



Category: Pillars of Eternity
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-07
Updated: 2018-04-07
Packaged: 2019-04-19 16:54:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14241708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queen_scribbles/pseuds/queen_scribbles
Summary: Tavi confronts Gathbin, Sagani and Kana come to a realization





	Crossing the Line

**Author's Note:**

> For @pillarspromptsweekly Fill #34. This week was another Roll for It, and boy howdy was I happy to get Gathbin in there, :3 Also got Great Hall and reclamation(which you kind of have to squint to see)

 

“Watcher, there’s a visitor waiting in the Great Hall,” the gate guard announced as Tavi led her group back into Caed Nua.

She fought the urge to groan. She was tired, the cuts on her arm had reached the point in the healing process where they itched like crazy, the lot of them were worse for wear after the bandits they fought on the way back, and she was very much not in the mood. “Who is it?” _If Azzuro’s tryin’ to part me from a couple thousand pands for somethin’ I don’t fuckin’ need again..._

“Lord Gathbin, I believe,” the guard said, a slight smirk pulling at his lips.

“ _Really_ , now.” Tavi flashed a predatory grin. “It would be rude to make him wait.”

“He certainly has some nerve,” Kana murmured behind her. “I wonder what he wants.”

“I know what he’s gonna get,” Tavi snorted, stomping across the grounds with far more vigor than she’d felt a minute ago.

“Tavi-” There were hurried footsteps, and then Aloth was beside her. “Don’t do anything rash.”

“Oh, I’ve spent _plenty_ of time thinkin’ about what I”m gonna do to that fucker,” she growled.

“ _Aye, an’ well he deserves it_!” Iselmyr’s comment spilled out before Aloth silenced her with a wince.

“Whatever he might deserve, if we handle this properly, not only can we completely annul his claim, but he’ll be humiliated in the process. He sent assassins after you who failed. Usher’s eyes, you took them _single handed_. But if you barge in there and threaten to gut him in front of witnesses, you’ll be no better in their eyes.”

“Fuck what they think,” Tavi shot back with a snarl. “When have I ever cared what people fuckin’ think about me?” _Aside from you, anyway_. Not waiting for his answer, she slammed open the door to the Great Hall and strode inside.

“...claim what is mine by rights,” Gathbin was saying to Marshal Forwyn. He spun around, scowling, at the interruption. “You! What are _you_ doing here?”

“I was about to ask you that,” Tavi retorted, crossing her arms. The motion pulled at her injured shoulder but she ignored the twinge. “Didn’t you basically forfeit your claim with your hissy fit in the Chancellor’s office?”

“Nothing of the sort,” Gathbin snorted. “Caed Nua is _mine_ , you filthy little guttersnipe. I’ll not have some unwashed Vailian sword-for-hire stealing my family’s property.”

“It’s not stealing if I _won it_ because you wouldn’t pay for service rendered,” Tavi growled. Even with Aloth’s (very sound) advice ringing in her ears, she was a hairs breadth from actually gutting the pompous fuck. She smirked. “It must _burn you up_ t’ know that I’m living here, and doing a _good fucking job_.”

He sniffed disdainfully. “Oh, yes, it’s positively flourishing under your control.” He shot significant looks at the rubble clogging the way to the library and barracks. “Such a fine keep deserves better than your fumbling attempts at leadership.”

Tavi’s hands curled into fists. She might not like the politics and business of being the Watcher of Caed Nua, but she’d be damned if someone was going to insinuate she _couldn’t_ do it. “Is that why you sent fuckin’ assassins, _Lord_ Gathbin?”

He didn’t even blink at the sarcasm dripping from his title, face going studiously blank. “I didn’t send assassins.”

“Bullshit,” Tavi snapped, digging into her belt pouch for the letter Keya had found. She hadn’t wanted it to mysteriously vanish and had kept it with her. “I have _proof_. It has your fucking seal on it, you bastard!”

“I hired no assassins,” Gathbin repeated, adjusting one silk glove. “I may have paid some men to exterminate vermin encroaching on _my_ keep, but-”

Tavi was launching herself forward before he finished the sentence, too furious to even holler the obscenities pilling up in her head.

Kana caught her before she’d made it more than a foot or two, wrapping an arm around her waist and hauling her off her feet. “I think it’s time to let someone else handle this conversation.” He nodded to Aloth and started carrying Tavi back toward the door.

She thought about fighting him, started to struggle, and then remembered two things. First, Kana was roughly as strong as she was, and second, he was one of six siblings. From her own experience grappling siblings who were doing(or about to do) stupid shit, she knew she was at a disadvantage. Kana already had her off her feet and was a fair bit bigger than she was. The part of her seeing red still wanted to try and work free so she could punch Gathlin in his stupid fucking face, but when she twitched Kana tightened his grip. So she resigned herself to glaring daggers at the man until the door closed between them. She was still all but snorting sparks when Kana set her down and rested his hands on her shoulders.

“Alright, Tavi, no prying ears--except mine, I suppose--what was that about?” he asked gently.

“You heard him,” Tavi muttered angrily. “Vermin, my ass. I’ll leave _him_ for vermin to chew on...”

“I did hear him,” Kana nodded. “This is not your usual reaction to insults. Usually, you reply with with a snarky comment, and are only ready to murder if necessary. This is... much stronger than normal.”

“He crossed a line,” she said with a growl, crossing her arms. Her fingernails bit into her biceps in a vain attempt to hide her anger. “ _Exterminating vermin_ , he said.”

“Tavi. You’ve been called worse and brushed it off,” he said softly.

“Aloth and Keya were the first ones in my room with the ruckus,” she finally caved, voice so quiet Kana leaned forward to hear her. She glanced down at the parchment still clenched in her hand. “The orders said no witnesses. If I hadn’t killed them, if Aloth or Keya weren’t prepared, it could’ve gotten” - _Him_ - “one of them hurt. Or killed.”

From the look on his face, Kana knew--or guessed--where her thoughts had gone. He was nice enough not to bring it up, instead pointing out, “But you _did_ kill the assassins, and I was there, Keya and Aloth were both prepared for trouble.” He smiled. “Your cursing loudly in the middle of the night is a rare enough occurrence they were suitably warned.”

Tavi managed a weak smirk. “I try to save the cursin’ for daytime hours when everyone can enjoy it.”

Kana chuckled. “And we appreciate your valiant efforts on our behalf. My point, Tavi, is that everything turned out fine.”

“I know,” she said quietly, feeling the coil of rage in her gut begin to loosen. _But what if it hadn’t?_  “He just made it way more personal than most do.” She raked hair out of her face. “So I reacted in kind. Still kinda  want to fuckin’ strangle him,” she admitted, kicking a pebble.

“And I don’t blame you for that in the slightest,” Kana said with a nod. “But think how much more satisfying it’ll be to defeat him in proper combat.”

She snorted. “To Rymyrgamd’s fucking _void_ with proper combat, I’m just sick of him bein’ a threat.”

“I doubt he’ll try anything like this again,” Kana shrugged. “Especially knowing that you’re wise to him, and given that he all but admitted to attempted assassination in front of the marshal. His next move will likely be more direct.”

Between the time to think and Kana’s rational commentary, Tavi found herself calming down. “That... does make sense. And it would feel great to let the bastard think he can beat me before I prove him so wrong it’s fucking hilarious.” She cocked her head. “Can I just challenge him to a duel and get it over with?”

Kana shook his head. “You could, but he’d never accept. You’ll just have to bide your time until you have a big enough army to meet him in battle.”

“Damn,” she groused, but just then the door swung open, distracting her from further comment.

Lord Gathbin stormed out, back rigid. He sent Tavi a venomous glare but didn’t say anything as he strode rapidly toward the gate. Aloth and Sagani emerged only a few seconds behind, the latter’s hand on her bow as if to make sure their guest truly departed.

Tavi raised an eyebrow as she watched him go. “I’d consider him handled. Gods, city slicker, what did you _say_?!”

Aloth shrugged. “I simply reminded him of the combat prowess that made you a contender for Caed Nua in the first place.” He smiled slyly at her. “And informed him that you dispatched all three assassins single handed in under a minute, so he regrettably had not gotten his money’s worth with them.”

“That’s not even the best _part_ , though,” Sagani crowed, apparently satisfied Gathbin was really leaving as she turned to join the conversation. “Tell her what you said after that.”

“What I said isn’t important,” Aloth protested. “All that truly matters is that he knows better than to do something like that again.”

Tavi looked at Sagani, curiosity only further piqued by Aloth’s humility. “Do tell.”

“Sending assassins is the mark of either a desperate men or an unworthy coward-”

“One so cowardly as to be unworthy of his title,” Aloth interrupted, face bright red and gaze studiously fixed on the hangnail he was picking. “If you insist on quoting it, at least do so properly.”

“Oh, I’m sorry if any of your poorly hidden contempt for the man got lost in translation,” Sagani said dryly. “Anyway, it was basically that if he was either of the previously mentioned types of kith, you were more than capable of handling him.” She grinned as Aloth’s ears twitched. “Then something about that not being a threat, just a statement of fact. Which, by the way, I second. You could beat that man with one hand tied behind your back, Tav.”

“‘Course I could,” Tavi snorted, studying Aloth’s face. “That just sounds a little more, well, _me_ of a sentiment than you would usually voice, Aloth.”

The wizard shrugged, briefly meeting her eye before returning his gaze to the hangnail, which was now bleeding. “He crossed a line,” he said quietly. “And you’re rather important, being the leader of our group, and a Watcher, and the only one with a prayer of tracking down Thaos. Life will be significantly easier without Lord Gathbin trying anything further.”

“Thanks for havin’ my back, Corfiser,” Tavi grinned, lightly bumping her shoulder against his.

“Oh, it was no trouble,” Aloth mumbled.

“I can still appreciate it,” she said warmly. “Now come on, you lot”--an inclusive gesture to the lot of them--”we’re leavin’ for Defiance Bay first thing in the mornin’, an’ I want everyone well fed, well rested, and stocked up on whatever you think you’ll need.” If she hesitated a beat so she could walk to Brighthollow roughly next to Aloth, it was no one’s fuckin’ business but her own.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Everyone went to their own quarters when they entered Brighthollow, of course. But it was only a couple minutes before a growling stomach led Kana to the kitchen in search of a snack. And apparently, he wasn’t the only one. 

Sagani waved a cheery greeting from her perch cross-legged on the table.  “Lookin’ for the cookies? I haven’t eaten all of ‘em yet.”

“I had been considering something a bit hardier,” Kana laughed, “but since you mention it...”

She leaned forward and nudged the half empty plate toward him, commenting, “Interesting homecomin’, huh?” She gestured in the direction of Caed Nua’s main hall with her partially eaten cookie to clear up any potential confusion.

“It certainly was,” Kana agreed, chuckling as he reached for a couple of the golden-brown treats. “I haven’t yet seen anyone get a rise out of Tavi quite like that.” He sat--properly--at the table, noting with amusement that it put him perfectly eye-level with the dwarf.

“Yeah, Gathbin sure got under her skin,” Sagani mused, taking another bite of her cookie. “She say anything to you regardin’ why?”

Kana shrugged but smiled. “Who were the first ones in the room, who may have come to harm?”

“Keya and Al _-oh_.” Sagani smirked. “ _I **knew** it_! It’s mutual, isn’t it?”

“What is?”

She rolled her eyes and teased, “Well, there goes my high opinion of your observational skills. Aloth’s been carryin’ a torch for Tavi at _least_ since I joined up, maybe longer.” A giggle escaped, along with a few crumbs. “You really didn’t notice?”

Kana reflected, then gave a conceding nod. “In hindsight, yes, it is rather obvious, isn’t it? And she’s definitely carrying one for him. One obvious enough I wonder that you missed it.”

“I _suspected_ ,” Sagani shot back, grinning. “Now, how long you figure ‘fore they admit.it to each other?”

Kana thought for a moment, munching on his cookie. “A month? Perhaps longer, Tavi’s still in a state resembling denial.”

Sagani snorted. “Please. I give it a week. Two, tops.”

Kana shot her a curious look, grin playing at his lips. “How certain are you of that prediction?”

“Fifty pands sure,” she shot back, matching his grin.

“I’ll take that wager,” he said with a nod.

They shook on it, and returned their attention to polishing off the plate of cookies. They were setting out tomorrow; no telling when they’d have another chance to slow down and enjoy the simple things in life.

**Author's Note:**

> Sagani wins, btw. It’s only a week and half from here that Tavi has Near Death Experience #3 in Third Time’s the Charm. Kana’s okay with this.


End file.
